Sacred 3 review

 

It's been 10 years since the original Sacred burst on to the gaming shelves as an epic fantasy RPG set in the kingdom of Arcania. This was Hack 'n' Slash with a bit of dash that offered a large campaign with stacks of side quests, 4-player co-op and up to 16 contenders in PvP.

There were 6 hero classes - Gladiator, Seraphim, Battle Mage, Wood Elf, Dark Elf and Vampiress - each with their own combat arts, magic spells and fighting skills. There were 50 levels to ascend to and - oh joy! - you could even ride into combat on an upgraded steed and dish out death and destruction. Ok the graphics were  a bit tame but it was a lot of fun.

Spin forward 4 years and up steps the sequel, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Arcania is in ruins, split between forces of light and dark fighting over powerful T-Energy and you now have the option to join one of two campaigns for victory and explore 500 quests. Of the 6 classes, only the Seraphim remain and they are now joined by High Elf, Dryad, Temple Guardian, Shadow Warrior and Inquisitor.

 

Co-op is now drop-in/drop-out, you still have PvP and PvE modes for 16 players and there's even an in-game concert by a rock band! And if you thought riding horses was a blast, then how about screaming into battle astride a Shroud Spider, Hellhound, Sabretooth or Wind Serpent?

Six years on and fans now have the chance to see how Keen Games has progressed the saga. The trailer looks fast-paced, colourful and stuffed with spectacular effects but by the end there's a  feeling that something appears to be missing. Once you engage with the full game, it's clear that sacrifices have been made and we're not talking about dicing trolls on a High Elf altar.

For a start, initially you are only presented with 4 classes - Seraphim (naturally), solidly built Safiri, spear-wielding Ancarian and bow maestro Khukuhru. A fifth class of blood magic and blade-slashing Malakhim can only be accessed via pre-order and will probably only come into their own properly when the DLC arrives.

 

The paper-thin story has Ancaria cowering before the might of the evil Emperor Zane (should that be Ming?) and your mission is of course to save the world and kick serious ass. Now it's clear that Sacred 3 was conceived primarily as a multiplayer game with strong emphasis on the four-player co-op mode.

Certainly the beginning stages can be quite demanding in single player and the designers chose to keep the chests and loot for the end of each level rather than being collectible on the journey. Only gold, health and power orbs can be picked up as you advance and checkpoints are spaced quite wide.

Attacking strategy involves left clicking for basic attacks and right clicking for more powerful results. Enemies can be grabbed and hurled at others with explosive effects and satisfying concussions arise from execution moves and 'bashing' to break shields. The big difference in Sacred 3 combat is the use of Weapon Spirits which tend to appear at random on the battlefield and offer buffs and debuffs that may significantly alter the balance of the conflict.

 

Most of the gameplay is linear and while you can level up and vary your skills, choosing a class is ultimately not as important as being quick on the button-mashing and dodging. The control system is much improved on the previous games, though, and co-op fighting when surrounded by swarms is the high point of the game. There are repetitive areas such as turning wheels to release more enemies which are annoying but once you get a head of steam, then the adrenaline rush can kick in.

But just as several other features have been curtailed, so is the game length which may not last more than 10-15 hours on first playthrough. And seriously, Deep Silver, what did you do with the mounts? Could you not even spare a moth-eaten donkey? As for the in-game humour, all I can say is, the constant 'wit' is about on a par with the last Duke Nukem reboot.

Don't get me wrong - if this is your first experience of this genre, then grab some pals and have a furious hour or two of furious foe-smashing. But for Sacred aficionados, however dash the slash, less does not mean more.

 

Score: 3/5